Cueto gets Opening Day nod for Giants

SURPRISE, Ariz.—Johnny Cueto’s admirable career performance overshadowed his more recent spring efforts, in the mind of Giants manager Gabe Kapler, who selected the right-hander to start the March 26 season opener against the Dodgers at Los Angeles.

This will be Cueto’s first Opening Day start with the Giants. He started four consecutive openers for Cincinnati from 2012-15, compiling a record of 1­-1 with a 0.64 ERA in those games. He’s 7-9 with a 3.53 ERA in 20 lifetime starts against Los Angeles, including 4-5, 2.36 in 10 starts at Dodger Stadium.

Cueto was outstanding in 2016, his first season with the Giants, finishing 18-5 with a 2.79 ERA in 32 starts. Since then, injuries have plagued him, including blisters, a sprained left ankle and elbow issues that led to Tommy John surgery on Aug. 2, 2018. These ailments and the surgery limited him to 13 appearances with the Giants from 2018-19.

Cueto owns a 12.79 ERA in three Cactus League outings this spring. Kapler cared about none of that.

Do Giants’ Buster Posey, Johnny Cueto have two of worst MLB contracts?

The Giants ended the 2019 MLB season with the 13th-worst record in the league at 77-85, but the fifth-highest payroll at $178.5 million. A large chunk of that went to a pitcher who only appeared in four games this season.

Johnny Cueto has pitched in just 13 games the past two years after undergoing Tommy John surgery, and also has earned $21 million in each of those seasons. Cueto, 33, will be paid another $21 million by the Giants in 2020, too.

He isn’t the only aging Giant that will earn a large chunk of change next season. Michael Ginnitti of the contract expert website Spotrac lists two Giants in his 10 toughest MLB contracts for 2020. Joining Cueto on the list is catcher Buster Posey.

For the fifth straight season, Posey, who mainly batted in the middle of the Giants lineup this season, saw his power numbers dip to a staggering career low. The former NL MVP only hit seven home runs this year—actually up from five in 2018—but drove in just 38 runs and had a .368 slugging percentage.

So, how many rival contracts could we argue have this honor?